Brake



March 15, 1938. R. A. GoEPr-'RICH BRAKE Filed DeC. 3l, 1936 lNvgN'roR RuDoLPH CoePF/wcn u): ATTORNEY Patented Mar. l5, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRAKE Application December 31, 1936, Serial No. 118.459

IClnim.

This invention relates to brakes, and is illustrated as embodied in an internal expanding brake for an automobile.

An object Vof the invention is to provide a simple and rugged shiftable device connecting the brake shoes, and which is adjustable to spread the shoes apart to compensate for wear of the brake lining. In one desirable arrangement this device includes plungers engaging the shoes and formed with converging faces between which a ball is crowded to wedge the shoes apart. The ball has rolling engagement with a head or the like on a member which is operable to make the desired adjustments.

The above and other objects and features of the invention, including various novel combinations of parts and desirable particular arrangements, will be apparent from the following description of the illustrative embodiments shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figures 1, 2 and'3 are sections through different i'orms of adjusting and connecting de vices, and which illustrate different embodiments of my invention; and

Figure 4 is a partial section through the third embodiment, on the line l--l of Figure 3.

The novel adjusting and connecting devices are illustrated as embodied in a brake such as is described and illustrated in Patent No. 2,045,-

010, granted Bendix Aviation Corporation on June 23, 1936, on an application led by me on December l, 1932. The present invention may be regarded as an improvement on the brake shown in that patent, although some of its advantages are obtainable in brakes of other types.

Where the parts arethesame. orare analogous in function. the same reference characters are used herein as in said patent.

As explained in detail in said Patent No. 2,045,- 010, the brake illustrated includes a drum Il, at theopensideofwhichisasupportsuchasa backing plate 26, andwithin which are arranged I connectionlncludingapairof endwiae-monble .stopmandsteadyrestaasdeacribedinsaid pat- (UL 18S-79.5)

The converging wedge faces of the plungers 94 engage between them a hardened ball Il in rolling thrust engagement in the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, with a head IIB which is carried by an operating stem |02 threaded into the side wall of the bracket 9B, so that its end may be grasped by a wrench outside the brake. The axis of the stem Il! is at right angles to the axis of the plungers Sl. The opening in bracket 96 through which the operating member Mii- |02 is Introduced may be closed by a suitable stamping |04.

'Ihe embodiment of Figure 2 diners from that of Figure 1 in that the axis of member Ill- Ilz is at one side of the position of ball Il when the brake is new, the bracket |96 being formed accordingly. This is to take care of the well-known fact that, especially in brakes for automobiles, the lining of the shoe which does the greater work in forward braking wears faster than the lining of the other shoe.

In both embodiments. the stem III can be turned to crowd the ball il between the convergingsurfaces on the plungersmowedgethe shoes apart.

InFigures3and4,inadditiontoaip-shaped guide stamping III cut away to embrace the plungers Il, the head III of siem Il! is formed with radial rounded ribs yieldingly interlocking (under the pull of the brake return springs ccnnecting the shoes) with grooves in a non-circular member 2l! which provides onitsotherfaceaplanesm'facewhichmgaged by the ball Il. This forms a convenient means for yieldingly locking the adjustment.

While several embodiments have been described in detail, it is 'not my intention to limit theacopeottheinventiontotbeparticular embodimenuorotherwisethanbytbetermaof the appended claim.

I claim:

A brame having shoes provided with a mutable theplungershaving converainaweei'aces, a ballennainaaaid fweaandathrmtmember mountedintheatatknarymemberandadiustableinadirectionparallelingthebrakeaxiaand withwhichtheballhasrollingeontactandwhich isoperabletotortbeballbetweenaaldfes towedgetheplungexsaparttoadiustthemoes tornar.

RUMIPHLGOUI'RICH. 55 

